Meatless Monday Recipe: Mashed Potato Pancakes

It's another Meatless Monday, and after posting our "Cook It Once, Eat It Four Times" article on my blog on Care2 (some of their vegetarian readers pointed out that this recipe could easily be made with tofu or tempeh as a substitute—loved that idea as a non pork-eater myself), I was in a "cleverly reusing leftovers" state of mind. Conveniently, just then I read this great article from our sister publication Gritabout recipes made from leftovers! Most of them include meat (although they all reduce food waste, which is always a conscientious thing to do), but I was intrigued by the one veggie recipe among the group: Mashed potato pancakes! I admit I haven't yet tried this recipe, but I am quite familiar with the author of this article, Kris Wetherbee, having worked with her extensively when I was an editor at The Herb Companion, and I feel very confident saying if Kris likes it, it must be good. I'm not sure exactly what to expect from these little cakes, other than that they sound absolutely delicious and I'm planning to try them out the next time I've got a few mashed potato leftovers to use up!

Mashed Potato Pancakes

Great for breakfast, brunch, or as an accompaniment to a main meal, Mashed Potato Pancakes feature leftover mashed potatoes and veggies. They’re delicious alone or topped with applesauce or sour cream.

1. In large bowl, stir together mashed potatoes, cabbage, carrots, flour, eggs, thyme, garlic powder and hot pepper sauce until well-blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 2. Heat about 1 tablespoon butter in large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Drop spoonfuls of batter (about 1/4 cup) into skillet; flatten with spatula or back of spoon to create 3- to 4-inch diameter pancake about 1/4-inch thick. 3. Cook over medium heat about 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden. (You may need to add another tablespoon of butter when cooking the other side.) Repeat with remaining batter, cooking pancakes in about 1 tablespoon of butter per batch or side. Serve with desired topper and enjoy. Yields 12 to 16 pancakes.

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